Now that we've officially arrived in 2020, I wonder if you're still thinking about the year to come.  You're probably not making resolutions, but maybe you're considering new priorities or guidelines to govern your decision making over the next 12 months.  Chances are that you would like some aspects of your life to change along with your calendar. If that's you, I hope you'll join us Sunday as we restart our journey through the book of First Corinthians.

Our preaching series for the year is entitled A Better Way for good reason.  The Apostle Paul writes this letter to encourage the church that he launched in the city of Corinth to rediscover what it means to live as followers of Jesus.  By answering specific issues and concerns that the church struggled with, Paul paints a vivid picture of a Christlike life.  I encourage you to visit our Livestream archive to refresh your memory about the many issues we have discussed so far.  You may remember that our last installment was eight weeks ago in chapter 8, where Paul shows the Corinthians that it's better to choose love over personal freedom.  He implored the church to live for the benefit of others more than their own desires, even if their desires weren't sinful.  

This week we'll turn to chapter 9, where Paul continues to explore the same ideas with a personal example.  Paul knew that to assert his rights could hinder Gospel ministry, so he laid down his rights in order to succeed in his goal of sharing the Gospel to as many people as possible.  He chose love over freedom to great effect.  As you and I think about the upcoming year, Paul's discussion of priorities can have a major impact on our choices and our impact on the world.